In 1943, our predecessor, Ramon Nadal Giró, began harvesting his indigenous grape varieties to make sparkling wines in his cellar, ageing them for long periods in the bottle. Staying true to his legacy, in 2015, we joined forces with five other premium producers (Gramona, Llopart, Recaredo, Sabaté i Coca, and Torelló) to launch CORPINNAT, a new seal of quality for our sparkling wines. The CORPINNAT label certifies not only their origin, but also one of the most discerning production techniques (in both the vineyard and the cellar) in the world: exclusive manual and eco-friendly harvesting, complete wine-making process on the same property, and ageing for a minimum of 18 months.
In February 2019, we removed the word Cava from our bottles and replaced it with Corpinnat. In doing so, we made a commitment to quality and all the rigorous self-imposed annual audits that go with it. Today, with its aim of becoming a global benchmark for excellence, the collective Corpinnat label has opened a new door of opportunity for sparkling wines from the heart of Penedès. Our grandparents called it Champagne and our parents called it Cava. But our wine continues to evolve, and our children will call it Corpinnat.
The first bottles of sparkling wine from El Penedès were made in 1878. Since then, winemakers have not stopped working and evolving to improve this wine, the brand’s identity. The decisive bet of the first producers for the macabeu, xarel·lo and parellada native varieties, was not accidental. More than 130 years of work translate into increasingly complex bottles. During this period, we lived through the constitution of the Regulatory Council in 1972 and a process of specialization following the strictest guidelines of the traditional or champagne method. This is how, during the second half of the s. XX, Cava was successfully introduced around the world, opening the door to very diverse production models.
It is in the face of this diversity of production models that some wineries, with a long history, have defended the necessary segmentation of such a plural sector. Therefore, after three years of intense work, on April 10, 2018, six historic manufacturers presented, in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, the collective brand of the EU CORPINNAT, with the desire to unite under a same seal special sparkling wines, made with grapes coming exclusively from El Penedès and with a comprehensive control of the whole process from the vineyard to the finished bottle.
The first bottles of CORPINNAT saw the light of day in April 2019. I hope that this generous commitment will help pave the way for the return of value to unique sparkling wines. Are you with us?
Xavier Nadal Penadés
